Basic
Greek Rhythms
Here
you can see the most important Greek rhythms that are used in Rembetika
and also Laika music styles. There are a good deal more and many
variations but you will be able to understand most songs if you
can recognize these rhythms.
The 9/8 Rhythms (Zeibekiko, Kamilieriko, Karsilamas) are very similar
too each other and differ mainly in speed, Zeibekiko generally being
slow, Kamilieriko is Mid Tempo, and Karsilams is played fast. Aside
from speed changes they also get slightly different patterns of
accents. Aptaliko is like Zeibekiko only starting on what would
de the 7th beat of the Zeibekiko, thus the melody and and sequence
loop at a different point. See the 9/8 rhythms as two 4/4 bars and
an extra beat stuck on the end. This beat can be hard to pick up
at first for the non-Greek if you havent been listening to Zeibekika
before, even if you understand it in principle.
You can download and listen to some Toubeleki tracks of some of
these rhythms (and other backing tracks) at my
soundclick page here.
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